Compared performance of a conceptual and a mechanistic hydrologic models of a green roof

In order to investigate the hydrologic response of a green roof system within the urban environment, a monitoring campaign is carried out at the green roof site of the University of Genova (Italy). Experimental data confirm that the green roof is able to significantly mitigate the generation of runoff with median values of retained volume and peak reduction, respectively, equal to 94 and 98%. A conceptual linear reservoir and a simple mechanistic (Hydrus‐1D) models are implemented to simulate the hydrologic behaviour of the system; each model is calibrated and validated based on experimental data collected at the green roof site. The hydrographs simulated with both hydrologic models reproduce with acceptable matching capabilities the experimental measurements, as confirmed by the Nash‐Sutcliffe Efficiency index generally greater than 0·60. Although the relative percentage differences evaluated for the selected hydrograph variables (the total effluent volume, the peak flow rate and the hydrograph centroid) demonstrate that the mechanistic model is more accurate, prediction errors of the conceptual model are generally limited when compared with the observed hydrologic performance. Results of the present comparison are useful in supporting conceptual model selection in case the hydrologic response is addressed for hydrologic performance assessment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.